Sunday 20 October 2019

Memories of Earlston Grocers in Times Past

In the 1860s there were 10 grocers/general merchants/spirit merchants in the village, as listed in the 1861 Census and in Rutherfurd's Directory of the Southern Counties, published in 1866.  But what of more recent times?   Local residents, past and present, especially members of Earlston Wednesday Club  have shared their memories of local grocers' shops. 

"Customers were very loyal to their particular grocer,
 whether it be Tom Bell, Willie Park, Forrest’s or Taylor’s.” 


TAYLOR'S SHOP AT THE EAST END


 "The location of the shop was on the site of a flour mill known as Huntspool Mill, which operated there in the mid to late 1800’s. The mill had a waterwheel that drew water from the burn around the area where King’s Yard was.  The derelict site of the mill and the several adjoining cottages were bought by Mr. Andrew Taylor of Pencaitland in around 1908 and the family grocery business was moved there,  after the shop was built by Rodger Builders, at around the same time as Kilnknowe and Bellevue Terrace were constructed."  (From Walter Taylor)
"The shop was there in the 1950’s - was  an excellent grocer’s shop of the old school. Very friendly service. Walter, Tom and Charlie delivered by van after the war, and would loan a marmalade cutter at the time of year for making marmalade.  The shop sold paraffin through the back, and the family were much involved in local activities – Dramatic Society  and the Horticultural Society. "
"I worked in Taylor's grocer's shop 1953-1956". 

Note: 43 year old Andrew Taylor, a grocer, was listed in Earlston with his family in the 1911 census and in local trade directories for 1915, and 1928, continuing in business into the 1950’s, with the help of his sons.  

TOM & ALAN BELL'S on  the corner of Thorn Street,  was a general grocery and tobacco shop.
"It was very handy for all the people who lived at the west end of the village."

 A Brownlie's lorry negotiating the tight bend by Tom Bell's shop on the left

GEORDIE BIRBECK.  
"He  was a grocer, selling sweets, fruit  & veg.  He went round the country areas with his van selling goods  – he said no one else would put in the required effort.” 
 
JIMMY BROWN'S
"He was known as “the midnight grocer” – as he went out in his travelling grocer’s van all hours "

FORREST'S , HIGH STREET
"This was a high class grocery shop – it sold just about everything, one part electricals, HMV & Bush radio & TV dealers. Also hardware, china, fancy goods.   A Miss Hogg worked there.  One day a TV went on fire and Miss H. panicked.  Someone threw a bucket of water over it (while the TV  was  still plugged in), so there was an almighty  explosion." 

WILLIE  PARK , WEST HIGH STREET 
"The  grocer was situated where One Stop and Jackie Lunn, Bakery are now. It sold everything – paraffin, sherry, dish cloths, clogs, pots and pans." 

 "My mother would take a bottle along and ask for it to be filled with sherry."
"The shop had a large hardware dept. – you were told not to buy more nails than you needed."
"Standards were different then - the same cutter was used for cutting bacon and slicing cooked ham."

"We were a family of five children and Willie Park used to keep ends of ham and broken biscuits to give to my mother" 

 "Food was loose – not pre-packed.  A housewife could go in and ask for two slices of bacon and have it sliced and wrapped, or a small pat of butter and it would be cut off a large slab.  I thought loose sugar was great.  Mr. Park would get a strong brown paper bag, scoop up sugar, weigh the bag and deftly fold and pack the top,  so it was secure.  We would get broken biscuits as a treat for a penny or two."

    "Willie Park’s also handled the SMT parcels for the buses.  I worked at the Chemist’s and we got sent prescriptions from Gordon and Greenlaw.  I then went along to Park’s with the compLeted prescriptions for them to be sent back to the villages on the bus." 


Note:  Willie Park was listed in a 1928 Trade Directory for Earlston – Telephone No. 20.  He was still in business in the early 1950’s.



The West  High Street with Willie Park on the right 
in what is now One Stop and Jackie Lunn's Bakehouse.
 
THE OLD CO-OP ON STATION ROAD

 "It was very different shop in the 1950’s  -  no self- service of course, but  wooden counters all the way around where assistants waited to serve you with your groceries."

"Shoppers could hand in their order, or “message line” and leave it to be put together  and delivered  by the  message boy on his bicycle, with a large basket on the front.  All the grocers in the town offered a delivery service."

  "The manager of the Co-op, Mr. McQuillin, who sang in the church choir,  sat in a very important little booth and handed out milk tokens, to have milk delivered to the doorstep daily." 






"Twice a year, Co-op members received “the divi”. A note was kept of the total amount of shopping done by each member and this was totalled up and paid as a loyalty dividend. This was a particularly busy day at the Co-op as members had to queue up at the manager’s booth to collect their cash." 
 "My mother relied on getting the “Divi” to buy us children our shoes."


"A "Southern Reporter" column of 21st November 1918 noted:
"At a recent meeting of the Earlston Co-operative Society, it was unanimously agreed to adopt the proposal that the affairs of the Society be taken over by Galashiels Society.  This change will take place at the end of the present quarter .The Earlston Society was started 35 years ago [1883] and was the only society of its kind in the County of Berwick.”


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Do you have more memories of local shops?
Do share them with us by commenting here or e-mailing: auldearlston@aol.com  

Monday 7 October 2019

Ninety Years of Earlston Businesses

 In 1866  Rutherfurd's Southern Counties Directory of 1866  listed the shops and trades in Earlston.   These numbered:

28 Farmers
10 Grocers/general merchants/spirit merchants  
Shoemakers  
7 Dressmakers,/clothiers/drapers. 
5 Innkeepers  at the Black Bull Inn, Commercial Inn, Newton's Hotel, Temperance Hotel,
and White Swan inn.
3 Carriers, Fleshers/Butchers, and Medical Practitioners
2 Bakers,  Blacksmiths, Cattle Dealers and Joiners.
1 Banker, Bookseller/Stationer/Printer,  Builder, Farrier, Joiner, Mole-catcher,Painter, Saddler, Salter, Thatcher, Timber Merchant, Tinsmith, and Watchmaker.  


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Ninety years later  Macdonald's Trade Directory of 1956-57 featured the following businesses.

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERS
     Thomas Purves, High Street
     John Rutherford & Sons, Rhymers Mill.

CHEMIST
·    W. Mitchell & Son, Market Square

BAKERS
     R. Douglas, Earlston Bakeries, High Str.
    J. Weatherly, High Street.

COAL MERCHANT
     A & G. Anderson Ltd.


BANK
     Commercial Bank of Scotland, High Str. 
Manager, R. A. Thomson 

CONFECTIONERS
     E. S. Burrell, The Square
     R. Douglas, High Street
     T. J. Featherston, Main Street

BLACKSMITHS
·   J. A. Brotherston, East End.

FISHMONGER
     McQuillin, The Square.
BOOKSELLERS, STATIONERS & NEWSAGENTS
    W. Simpson Henderson, Market Square.
    Also lending library & gift shop.

GROCERS
     T. Bell, Thorn Street
     R & A. Forrest, High Street.  Hardware, china, wine & spirit merchant
     Earlston United Co-operative,  Station Road
·    W. Park & Sons, High Street
Wine & spirit merchant

BUTCHERS
    Wm. Donaldson, The Square.

JOINERS
     W. Kerr & Sons, High Street.
Also undertaker

BUILDING CONTRACTORS
     Alex Blair & Sons, Mill Road.
     Kings & Co., East End.
     William Rodger, Builders Ltd.


MOTOR ENGINEERS & AGENT
    John Readman and Son. Westfield Road.
Motor cars for hire,  also cycle and radio dealers and electrical engineers.


PAINTER & DECORATOR
     Fisher & Sons, The Square.

SCOTCH TWEED MANUFRS.
     Simpson & Fairbairn Ltd., Rhymers Mill.

PLUMBER
     Thomas Walsh  & Son, High Street.

SLATERS
     J. & W. Holland, 8 High Street.
Also roof plumbing and chimney sweeping.
      
PUBLIC HOUSE LICENCE HOLDERS
·      I. G. Spence,  White Swan
·      Mrs E. P. Boag,  Black Bull
·      Red Lion Hotel, The Square.  

TEA ROOM
     F. & J. Weatherly, High Street
RADIO AND TELEVISION
     R. & A. Forrest, High Street.
HMV and Bush dealers; sales and service

UPHOLSTERER
·      Fraser, Station Road.


Note:  Businesses had to pay for entries in the Directory, so this listing is not comprehensive of  all the shops and services in the village at that time. 

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Then and Now 

An early photograph looking across the West Green, with the trees planted in 1897 to mark Queen Victoria's Jubilee.  The corner block was built in the 1860's by master grocer Christopher Sanderson.  

Rutherford's Newsagent and Barber in what became known as Barber's Corner  at the West Green, c.1950's.  

 


Barber's Corner, West Green in 2019.


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